The Dawn of a New Age Book One: Earth
by Ofravensandroses
Summary: December 21st 2012. A comet crashed into Earth changing its geography dramatically. A new government has risen, and Olivia Megan Alm must stop it.
1. Chapter 1

I looked back at how peaceful the world was it kinda made me forget what happened in the last six months. But I could never forget it.

A complete disaster. November 21st 2012 NASA found an incoming comet headed straight for Earth. We only had a month to evacuate the impact zones. A single month for NASA to hopefully admit they had miscalculated. They never did. Instead they sent out word to the entire world, and mainly, China. China was literally at the centre of the impact zone. Beijing, the Forbidden City, all of the history of the ancient world would be destroyed. Well it has. I'll get to that after.

The entire world was in panic, I had family here in China and my parents went crazy when they found out that my relatives were in trouble. In fact everyone was. It didn't help when NASA came out and said that yes they did miscalculate, but no, not about where the comet will cause the impact. Turns out, the comet is bigger and even more likely to cause damage. Airplanes, helicopters, the Red Cross, even the military rushed to China's aid. But they wouldn't allow it. The only planes, helicopters and military that even left the Beijing airports, were the ones carrying China's most powerful and elite.

That's when the entire world came to help. And when I say the entire world, I mean it. The three most powerful democratic countries sent in help no matter China's restraints. My parents and I went to Canton to help our family there. It was December 16th. We were staying on the farm there with relatives. My parents did most of the talking, after all my Chinese isn't that great. My grandparents would always tell me to help out with the dishes, the laundry and a whole lot of other stuff.

December 19th. Our little farm was one of the lucky ones to have T.V. Too bad it was all in Mandarin. Once the news came on, everyone would rush in to watch. I remember sitting on the couch staring at the madness on that little screen. There were people rushing to get food, people being pushed around by the police. Each scene was mostly the same, everyone was panicking. One guy ran to the airport with a gun and threatened to shoot anyone if he couldn't get on the plane. He was shot to death.

Come December 21st we're all panicking. Police cars made their way down the rural roads towards Beijing and the surrounding cities. They were there to make sure that they didn't leave the city--or the country for that matter. The citizens won't leave, but neither would the police, they were all on the brink of death. 12 o'clock. The dreaded moment finally came, within seconds the atmosphere had been penetrated and the comet had made impact. Beijing was flattened, so was Tianjin and all of the land a hundred kilometres around. Even where we, were we could hear the impact, a horrible crushing noise from all around.

But that wasn't the worst of it. There was an earthquake, and a big one at that. Apparently it shook the entire world, literally. All of the continents came together and pushed the North and South poles to either end of the world. Mount Pele and the other volcanic islands came together in the South-West creating a strip of islands. And from what I heard there are even small mountainous islands in the North, South, East and West.

Many people died. Nobody knows the exact mortality rate because, for some unknown reason, the scientists have fled. The technology that most people couldn't live without was gone too, destroyed like almost everything else. For most of the time we thought we'd be living without anyone to guide us. Many of the world leaders have died, some off with the scientists and others so powerless no one wants to listen to them. We later found out that China's rulers were still out there and they wanted control. The news came a little slow. I suppose that's what happens when there's no phones, no T.V., no Internet. We were back to the Stone Age. Or maybe the Dark Ages. Either way, a horseman came with the news; we didn't get it until a couple of days.

I remember sitting outside when he came. He was riding a black stallion and wore simple brown clothing. They looked like rags. I suppose they were. His hair was messy and he looked exhausted, his face gave it away. I walked up to him, he muttered a few thing in Chinese-which I was glad to hear that he was speaking Cantonese- and I made out a couple words, "Name is Lung Fe." He gave me-to my surprise- a scroll and said some more things in Cantonese, but I only made out "Parents." I opened the scroll as he galloped off. I wasn't too pleased to see all the writing in Chinese. I gave it to my parents anyway.

What the scroll said was horrible. I still remember the words. Of course my mom had to translate but it still stuck.

"_An announcement from the government. _

_Unfortunately after this disaster, Tibet has fled to the mountainous islands, the Shaolin Monks and those who believe in their nonsense traveled to the volcanic islands in the South and the people of Nepal set off on a suicide trip to the North and South poles. They can if they must. Our lives will be better off without them. And to make sure they understand, I am re-naming China the Earth Kingdom, and I shall be the Earth King!"_

Well that was it. The world has separated, I was born in a country that no longer exists, and live in a new one ruled by some horrible man. No longer was I Olivia Megan Alm from Canada, I was Olivia Megan Alm of the Earth Kingdom.


	2. Chapter 2

Now, six months later, we still have not heard from the other survivors. The ones that emigrated from the mainland have not communicated in any way with us. I supposed it was because they didn't want to mess with the government -- or the Earth Kingdom as China is now known as.

I walked into the small village square. It was the typical Chinese farm village; a stable near the front, complete with horses and hay stacks, the houses around the courtyard and the rice fields behind it all. I was one of the oldest girls so I had some pretty boring jobs, which mainly included drying the rice, washing the rice, cooking the rice -- a lot of things that have to do with rice.

Understanding my grandparents became easier with time, I suppose that's what happens when you're constantly surrounded by Chinese speaking people.

I grew bored quickly. No T.V., no radio, no phone service, and no Internet! It's almost impossible for any teenage girl to live without these. I had to find a new pastime. About three months ago I found out my uncle is a martial arts master. Hun gar kung fu to be more precise. I caught him a couple of times practicing, kicking, punching, jabbing and blocking. He mostly spent his time sparring with a large stack of hay. Being bored to death and having to walk around in leech-infested waters to collect rice, I was pretty desperate. Plus, martial arts looked cool.

"The key to Hun gar is to be rooted." He had explained. "In most martial arts your legs and feet become your weak point when they are on the ground. In Hun gar, it becomes your strongest and most stable point." He lowered into a wide and low stance. "The horse stance lowers your centre of gravity and makes you a much more stable opponent."

I took his position, arms at my side and legs far apart. "How's this?" I asked, my Cantonese slightly off.

"Good."

The lessons went on for the past few months. I've become pretty good and my uncle now has a sparring partner but I wanted to see what was outside of the village. See, we were surrounded by mountains. Lucky us, our village was in the valley of one of the only mountain ranges in Canton.

"These mountains were created by the dragons when they went to help the Emperor," my grandmother had said. "The south was always being attacked by the North Kingdom so the Emperor called upon the dragons to protect us."

I never did quite believe that story. But the mountains seemed like a gate. A gate that would never open. The only way past was to go on foot—or horse. I was hoping someone in the village knew how to ride; after all we did have a stable and five horses. So it wasn't until last month I learned to ride. It took me quite a while to find someone who knew how to ride. When I finally did, there were . . . complications.

"What do you mean 'there aren't any horses available at the moment'?" I said angrily to my mother. We were standing in the little kitchen that we had. A small fire burned in a pit at the centre of the room, a pot sitting on top of a wooden tripod.

"Your grandfather is keeping his for emergencies only. As for the other four, they belong to the other families in the village," said my mom, as she dumped some dried tea leaves into the pot.

I sighed. She was right. We weren't the only family in the village, there were four more sharing it with us. Each family had their own horse, a way of transportation when the roads were too crowded to drive on. Not that that ever happened, nor will it again.

I stood and turned to walk out. "Wait," said my mom. "Before you go, there's something you need to know." I had my hopes up once she said that, but it was quickly swiped away. "We're out of water and it's your turn to get it." She said taunting me with the empty bucket. I took it reluctantly, gave my mother a look of annoyance and left the kitchen.

The well was in the middle of the village square. It was so out of place, like a tree in a desert. I put the bucket on the crumbling grey stone and attached the rope to the handle. Just as I was going to let it drop to the cold watery depths below, a couple of men on horses came right into the square.

The horses looked worn out and the clothes the men wore were no fancier than the ones that I wore. I figured they weren't any richer than we were. They weren't what you would call big-muscled either, nor were they skinny. More skilled. They held themselves with confidence, even without weapons. I had a good feeling they were master martial artists. I heard my grandfather shuffle out of the house, along with my uncle and the other men in the village.

"Hong Mu!" rasped my grandfather. "What are you doing here?"

"Taking something that is mine." said Hong Mu.


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, I'm not seeing any reviews, so if you're reading this, reviews are greatly appreciated. Thanks!**

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Hong Mu dismounted in a single movement then stepped forward. And, as if on cue, the other men followed. Hong Mu was definitely in charge and I wasn't too happy about it. He looked and sounded cruel, even those last words of his were a sneer—something that must've formed from pure hatred.

The other men didn't seem to enjoy having Hong Mu as their leader, they looked scared of him. And that was what scared me. These men were obviously dangerous on their own but Hong Mu was incredibly dangerous.

"You haven't let that stupid argument fall, have you?" asked my uncle. He tried his best to hide it, but I knew when he was angry. It was another thing he taught me: martial artists can keep their emotions hidden until it was too late for their opponent.

Hong Mu seemed too confident in himself to notice that fact. "Please, we all know that scroll belongs to my family. You just had the guts to take it from us."

"We took it from you? Our name is on that scroll! Not yours!" My grandfather was really biting back. There must've been something I was missing because all that talk of a scroll was new to me.

"Names mean nothing, old man."

"You can believe that, Hong Mu, but I will not. Even if our families once lived together, it makes no difference."

"Ha! You said it right there, old man. Our families once lived together, and it was your family who chose to leave." At this point I was really starting to get annoyed with that guy. There was a perfectly good bucket at my disposal that's just waiting for me to throw at Hong Mu.

"You're too young to know any of this. You cannot remember the details because you were no more than an infant! I should just let Lukai and the rest of the men take you out!"

"I wouldn't try that, old man." Hong Mu turned to another man beside him. He was somewhat scrawny and looked as if was brought by force. "Zhong, search the houses."

"What! You can't just do that!" This time it was my uncle.

"Watch me." said Hong Mu smiling. My uncle and two other men from my village stepped out in front of Zhong who, in turn, pulled out a sword. That was a surprise. The men didn't look armed; in fact they seemed almost vulnerable.

The three men backed away once they saw the blade. The man wielding it was scrawny and scared. The sword itself was about three feet long, silver and sinister-looking. It was an odd pairing, a weak and scared-looking man with a scary looking sword.

But the sword and the man worked together wondrously. Zhong walked into the house next to me and swung the sword with ease. The blade met a dresser and it immediately sliced in two. In a single, fluent motion he brought the sword up and back down through the bed. Hay and heather were scattered everywhere, but Zhong wasn't done. The way he and sword worked together seemed almost alien. As if something—or someone—had taken over. But I couldn't pin-point what.

After he'd finished with that house he moved on. It was more or less the same in each house—that is until he found what he was looking for. "Hong Mu, it's in here." He shouted across the square.

"Good. Bring it to me. I want to see it."

Zhong did as he was told. He sheathed his sword and walked over carrying a small scroll. I was unimpressed when I saw it. It was a pretty ordinary scroll. About a foot long with no writing on the front of it, anyone could have easily mistaken it for anything really. In fact the only thing I thought that was valuable about it was that it had a silk ribbon. The ribbon was a nice shade of dark green. It was something that would have looked great in my hair.

"You see, Lukai? I can do just that." And with that word Hong Mu turned around and mounted his horse. The other men followed obediently. Yes, I realised it then that there was something pretty unnatural about these men. They followed orders too well. It was almost robotic.

Once they left, my uncle and my grandfather turned to me. I felt uncomfortable between those two; they were staring at me like I was the one who took the scroll, not Hong Mu.

"Olivia, I know this is a lot to ask right now, but we have to ask you something." I guess my uncle tried to make himself less intimidating, but even so, I wasn't happy with the way he looked at me.

"Olivia, we need you to get that scroll back for us."


	4. Chapter 4

It was three days after Hong Mu invaded our village. My grandfather has finally come around to teaching me how to ride. The problem: he wants me to sneak into the other village to get back the scroll. The conversation went something like this:

"The only way you can get to the other side is on horseback." He had said. We were sitting in the stable. I wasn't comfortable but it was quiet. That is if you call being surrounded by horses quiet. "If you walk, you'll waste precious time and energy. And don't forget, you do not want to get caught. If you do... well, I don't think you want to know." Yeah, that was real comforting. "You go in, take the scroll and get out. Don't take your time."

In other words, he was saying that I'm going to be risking my life to get back some paper and wood. So it boiled down to one question: "What the big deal about that scroll?"

"It's a long story."

"I'm in no hurry to risk my life."

"Alright. The scroll dates back around forty years ago," He began. "We once lived together on the other side of the mountain. Protected and safe, we were happy. In fact, we had no intentions of leaving. But something happened. I'm sure your guess would be that ten families living together would cause a hassle. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. Hong Mu's family wanted to dig a well. They weren't happy with the stream, of course they weren't. The pollution at the time was horrible. Well, when they dug, there was something blocking the way. That something turned out to be some sort of claw. I was only a teenager at the time and I didn't quite believe it.

"My mother said it was a dragon claw. But my father said it was something else. It was long, black and straight." I saw him rub his forehead. He looked tired. "I'm sorry, Olivia, it's been too long. I cannot remember the details. But after it was found, the village had split in two. There was a long and tiring argument over what it was and in the end we could never decide on an answer.

"Instead, we buried the claw in the mountains and drew a map of where to find it. The map is the scroll that Hong Mu took from us." He paused and looked around suspiciously, as if the horses would give him away. "Luckily Hong Mu won't know how to read it. There are some secrets only the elders know. And unless his father is willing to tell him, he will never know.

"But there have been things going on that have me worried. I won't bore you with the details, Olivia. All you need to know is that I don't trust Hong Mu with that scroll. It's without a doubt that he has the second scroll."

"Second?"

"Each village has our own. They are to protect the secrets from the wrong people." My grandfather stood up and so did I. "But let's not think too much about that. It's time I showed you how to ride."

"Keep your back up. You're not helping your posture anymore than you are helping yourself stay up."

So there I was, a month ago, learning to ride a horse. Let me tell you; not easy. Of course without a saddle, everything's harder than it could have been. Still, I learned the basic commands; how to go faster, how to slow down, how to jump and how to turn. My grandfather was trying to teach me to trot.

"You're going to want to go faster than walking, but not as fast as a gallop!" he reminded me. "Use your legs to keep yourself up!" I did as he told, and gripping the horse's mane I moved along. The horse's name Lizih – which I found odd as it's the direct translation of plums – seemed to be cooperating very well. But when I realised how much he was bouncing up and down, I tightened my grip on his mane. We came to a turn and I fell off balance. I think I might have passed out for a second because the next thing I knew, I was on the ground. I was stuck in a heap of black that turned out to be my hair. _Note to self,_ I thought_. If I'm going to keep my hair long, remember to tie it up. _

"Are you alright?" At first I didn't know who was talking. I figured the horse must've trampled on my head because I couldn't see straight. Finally the figure in front of me became clear. It was my grandfather trying to help me up. He held out a hand and I took it. Grateful, I tried to pull myself up only to fall back down on my butt.

"It looks like you're going to need more practice."


	5. Chapter 5

**My many thanks to** Vanguard Ziggy for the reviews. I'll try to incorporate what you've said, although the village Olivia's at didn't have much modern technology to begin with.

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It was three days after Hong Mu invaded our village. My grandfather has finally come around to teaching me how to ride. The problem: he wants me to sneak into the other village to get back the scroll. The conversation went something like this:

"The only way you can get to the other side is on horseback." He had said. We were sitting in the stable. I wasn't comfortable but it was quiet. That is if you call being surrounded by horses quiet. "If you walk, you'll waste precious time and energy. And don't forget, you do not want to get caught. If you do... well, I don't think you want to know." Yeah, that was real comforting. "You go in, take the scroll and get out. Don't take your time."

In other words, he was saying that I'm going to be risking my life to get back some paper and wood. So it boiled down to one question: "What the big deal about that scroll?"

"It's a long story."

"I'm in no hurry to risk my life."

The next few days were probably the most embarrassing in my life. It took me some time, but I managed to learn to trot. Galloping became the next problem.

"If, by any chance, you get caught, you must get out of there as quickly as possible. Don't let them catch you. There's a good chance as well that Hong Mu will have archers."

My days went by slowly. Each one was more and more exhausting. And now my grandfather warns me of archers! It seemed like such a big deal over a scroll. But I was curious. Hadn't this been what I was asking for? To leave the village and see what was at the other side of the mountain? Now I was beginning to regret it. Why couldn't they provide me with weapons? I had asked once, but they refused.

"There's no time to train you. A weapon takes time and patience. Frankly, you don't have any." Yeah, my uncle was a powerhouse full of support.

My dad didn't like the idea of being sent into territory I didn't even know. "And even then," he had said. "There's no way we'd know if you're safe or not." Of course he had a point, but my uncle and grandfather weren't dissuaded. They were persistent in having me go.

"Now Olivia, we're going to have to do something about your name. It'll be suspicious if anyone asks. I think we should use your initials. O M A. Hmm...." The day after we had finished with cantering, my grandfather decided it was time to tell me what I was to do. I was incredibly grateful that he switched to English for some time.

"Oma . . . yes, I think that works. And it suits you." Why he said that, I don't know. And honestly, he still hasn't told me.

The next few days were nothing out of the ordinary. I helped out with cooking, cleaning and looking after all of the other kids. It seemed to me that to these kids, nothing is really too different. I wish that I could be like them. But I could never adjust to the life that the world seemed to have forced on me. I've tried my best to ignore it. Life must go on, and so do I.

That night, I decided to stay up late and watch the stars. Normally, I would go to bed early. I always knew about the massive amount of chores I have in the morning. But the night was beautiful and the sky was clear. I couldn't miss out on such an opportunity.

The sun had begun to set as I finished my martial arts practice with my uncle. He's been saying that I've picked up the art faster than he expected, and that I might just become a master in the time of a few months. I was really happy with that, and it seemed to me that I've been learning a lot of things since the "accident".

After practice I went into the house to get my blanket. It was a deep green, dark to the point of no longer being vibrant, but light enough to see that it was still green and not black. Even though I've been living there for a while, I was still not used to the country life. The dirt, the outhouses and the "simple lifestyle" has seemed to have made me an even bigger clean freak. And because of that, I always sit on my blanket when I'm outside and I'm constantly washing my hands. The other kids look at me as if I'm crazy, and the adults just shake their head. It doesn't matter, I am who I am.

The light was dimming as the moon and sun traded places. Stars were scattered along the night sky and a faint halo of red hung where the sun had just set. I was lying on my back looking up at the evening sky. It was early April – I only knew this because I've been keeping track of the months – and the temperature has been getting warmer and warmer. China has some pretty crazy weather because of where it's situated. There are deserts, tropical rainforests, arctic tundra, frozen mountains and rich crops all in one country. And because of where Canton is, we usually only get warm weather.

That night while I was staring into the sky, I realised how little impact I must make to the world. As far as anyone knows, I don't really matter. I feel asleep with this thought, half happy and the other half left in wonder.

At least I thought I was asleep. Once I closed my eyes I found myself in a dark barren forest. In front of me was a swamp, I could tell by the smell emanating. Strange trees seemed to grow with the leaves closest to the ground and its roots spreading like branches up above. Rocks and boulders seemed to be suspended in the air, vines and leaves dangling from them.

The place was so surreal. Nothing looked normal. I could have easily have seen the place in some painting at an art gallery. I think I saw one that had a similar layout as this place too. I remember a clock that seemed to be hanging from a cactus, dripping. But there weren't any clocks there. The place looked new but old. I would have liked to explore some more, but within seconds of getting there, I was ploughed by some sort of mole creature. I thought it looked like a mole, and yet, it wasn't. It was huge, the size of a dump truck, with three stripes down its back. It had huge claws and a badger-like face. But once I hit the ground, I woke up.


	6. Chapter 6

It was a clear spring day. The sun was shining so brightly it almost blinded me when I first woke up. The first thing I saw through the light was my grandfather looming over me. His thinning white hair wasn't noticeable from my angle, but his other features gave him away.

"Good, you're awake. You have a long day ahead of you." A long day? I didn't know that I had anything to do other than the usual. "There's been a change of plans, Olivia. A cousin of mine informed me last night that Hong Mu has retrieved the claw. Apparently, he has plans on searching for more. I know you weren't expecting to leave for a few more days, but this is becoming urgent." He was obviously just using me. Urgent? I didn't know claws were "urgent" material.

The sun told me it was mid-morning, birds were chirping and I could smell the crisp morning air. But I was still too tired to get up. And so, without warning, my grandfather dragged me to my feet.

"You are to leave at mid-day exactly. And keep quiet about all this!" he hissed. "The less people who know, the better, do you understand?" I gave a weak nod before he pushed me over to the stables. "Good!" he called from behind me. "Get ready to leave soon!"

That was when my stomach reminded me of my hunger. It felt like lunch time, and I hadn't had anything to eat (this was mainly from the fact I had just woke up). "What about food?" I asked.

"I'll pack you something! But how long do you really think you're going to take on this mission?" I sighed. My grandfather is usually very wise, but that time, he acted like the very thought of lunch had slipped his mind.

Lunch was . . . awkward. My parents wouldn't speak. My grandfather and uncle wouldn't speak. There was a silent tension between all of them. The rest of the kids were just as care-free as they usually are. I, on the other hand, was quietly eating and avoiding asking for anything. "Anything" included the food near my dad who was too far to reach.

Despite the silence, I knew what each of them was thinking. My mom, who was picking at her food, was probably crying on the inside. I'm sure she didn't want me to leave. My dad was looking at his chopsticks as if he could use them to kill my grandfather for the same reasons my mom was miserable. My uncle and my grandfather on the other hand, knew that the mission was necessary and were prepared to have me killed. Wait – why was I even thinking these things? I was under enough stress as it was.

Around mid day I set off. The sun was shining so brightly that I had to put a straw hat over my head to protect my eyes. Cool breezes and the scent of fresh air carried over the mountains. Fresh air was returning and I could tell the Earth was beginning to regain control. Birds flew overhead, singing into the sky. Birds have been the only music source I've had in a while. It's actually really easy to get sick of listening to them.

Leaving the village behind me, I could still hear my grandfather's words to me before I left. "Remember; your name is Oma. You were passing by and you were wondering if you could stay for some time. Do you understand? If anyone asks, you are not Canadian born, you haven't even been outside of the country. We cannot afford for you to be lost to us." Even though I was listening to his words, I was distracted by my parents. My dad was still yelling at my uncle and my mom was silently weeping. But despite all that, wasn't this what I had asked for? I wanted an adventure and I got it. What they were worrying about was nothing I had to too. So when I mounted Lizih, I told myself to be brave. Think about what I'll be able to see and do.

That was around three hours ago. Now, I was approaching the mountain pass. Light streamed over the mountains. It was late afternoon, I could just tell. The heat beating down my face told me that. Lizih whinnied as I pulled his reins to urge him to go faster. I may have wanted adventure, but I didn't want to stay too long from home. I tried to take in my surroundings. It was beautiful where the valley and mountains met. Green leaves mixed with the rest of budding flowers made everything incredibly scenic. Birds were flying over head and the smell of tropical flowers now filled the air. Then Lizih came to an abrupt stop.

I leaned over to stroke his mane. "What is it boy?" He shook his head in response. I had no idea why he had stopped, and then I looked up. The region of the mountain I had just come up to was steep and completely sheer if not for a few rocks jutting out of the side. There was no way up. I looked around for an easier way, a less steep ascent, or – preferably – a path. There weren't any nearby, but further to my left was an attemptable cliff. I decided to take that route. I descended Lizih and leaded him be the reins. He would have to stay at the bottom of the mountain while I found another way. There was a tree right near the closest ledge. I tied his reins and set off.

The first few feet weren't that bad. But when I came up to twenty feet, my arms began to feel the weight that they're being forced to bear. It was then that I realised the climb wasn't as high as I thought. It was, in reality, on about forty feet high. From the bottom it looked even higher. I had to continue. Only twenty more feet then I could lie down and relax. My grandfather was right when he said it was going to be a long day. But just how long was it going to be? I was five feet from the top when I grabbed on to a loose rock and slipped. My left foot fell out from under me and I had almost fell. I urged myself on. This was only the beginning of my adventures, and I didn't want to it to end too quickly. Then, with a sense of relief, I felt flat ground.

Climbing the cliff made me aware of two things: one, the sun had become oven stronger, which meant it's late in the afternoon. And two, I needed to stop being so lazy. Apparently, Hun Gar kung fu isn't enough. My tunic and pants were ripped and tattered from scraping them, but still in good condition. I almost collapsed to the ground, but instead upon arriving to the top, I took a few steps inward then lay down.

"A young lady should never be seen lying on the ground. Nevertheless in tattered clothes." I sat up when I heard the voice. Was there someone up here with me? I turned to face who was talking to me. He was another mountain top. The man, once I had a good look at, wasn't a man at all. He looked around my age, sixteen, and very good looking. "May I ask what such a beautiful young lady is doing atop this mountain?" It was then I realised he was talking in Cantonese.

"I-I got lost trying to find the way around. I'm trying to reach the other side of these mountains." I was completely flustered. What was I supposed to say?

"There is a path farther down there," he said, motioning to the left. "I would escort you, but I am afraid I cannot just jump the mountain."

I smiled. Good looking and has a sense of humour. Perfect. "That's alright. Thank you."

"A pleasure to help you," he bowed, holding one fist in the other in front of him as he did so. "I will meet at the base of the mountain to escort you to my village. It seems that you may need some new clothes." And with that, he climbed down the mountain.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the late submission. I have been procrastinating. But my school year's done, and I shoudl have more time to write.**

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I was awe struck for some time. He seemed completely different from the boys that went to my school. They were rude, obnoxious and had some of the dirtiest minds in the world. But he wasn't like that. He was polite, well spoken and very kind. I watched him climb down the cliff and even when he was out of sight, I found myself staring into the distance. Then, I realised that I was supposed to meet him on the path. Shaking my head, I turned and made my way back down the mountain.

The descent was much easier than the ascent. Isn't that what everyone says? Well, I found myself proving that point. I was careful not to slip this time. A fall when expecting a fall is worse than being taken by surprise. Lizih was silently waiting for me at the base of the cliff. I was grateful. Having to chase a horse around is never any fun.

I mounted him and took off, keeping an eye out for the path. The trees became thicker in this area, and finding a path was beginning to look very unlikely. Then, at the base of an ancient tree, I saw the boy I had met atop the mountain. He was looking around, but when he saw me, he smiled and motioned for me to come closer. "I am sorry," he said when I rode over to him. "I had completely forgotten a proper introduction. I am Shu." He bowed in the same manner as before.

"My name is Oma." I had almost forgotten my cover story for a second.

"Your name is Oma? Well, you truly are a gem. Well, come along. We have a long journey ahead of us." He took Lizih's reins and pulled him along. "I am not sure how well you'll be able to handle the path. It is very rough."

"I think I'll be fine," I reassured him. He smiled.

"Alright. I am sure you are a very capable rider. Just allow me to guide you." I let him take the reins and pull Lizih forward.

All around me, I was able to see how well the trees and plants grow here. Back in Toronto, there are few lush trees and bushes. And to find the next tropical flower, you would probably have to go to the garden centre. Sparrows flew ahead, and somehow I wasn't sick of their song. It was as if meeting Shu had revitalised my energy. But clinging on to Lizih started to drain it all away.

After around a hundred metres, I became tired. Shu was doing a fine job holding up, but I was trying not to fall. We came up to a steep rock and I almost fell. I say almost because Shu had held me up.

"Be careful," he warned. "We are not far, just over these ridges. I hope you do not mind the ride." I shook my head. I thought I had enough energy to carry on.

The next rocks weren't as bad. The boulders were steady enough to keep me upright without falling. Lizih struggled a few times to keep up, but we seemed to have managed. In the horizon I was able to see the village. Looking at it, I realised it looked just like a mirror image of my village. The well in the centre of the square, the houses and even the stable were almost identical.

"Welcome to Dragon Wood village," Shu said, leading me into the village.

"It looks so..." I stammered.

"Lovely?" He suggested.

"Well, that's not what I had in mind, but yes, it is." I smiled, trying not to sound too embarrassed.

"Come, my mother should have some clothes for you." I dismounted Lizih and held her by the reins. "I'll take your horse," he offered. I let him go. It seemed to be my time to relax. Letting my hand slip to my side, I looked around. The sun was still beating down and being in the open made me feel it even more.

The village gave off the same feelings; mothers trying to stop their kids from trouble, fathers herding animals, elders playing Mah-jong. It was a nice thought, to know that you were safe. But I knew that Hong Mu was in the village somewhere and that I had to go get that scroll back.

We walked into a small house. The smell of incense and food filled my senses immediately. It reminded me of home. Then I realised that the entire village reminded me of home. It was an eerie comparison between the villages. I felt as if I was walking into my house. But I knew that I wasn't.

"Mother," said Shu as he peered around the corner. The next room looked as if it were a kitchen, and seeing Shu's mother sit over an open fire with a kettle over top told me that it was. "There is a beautiful young lady here who needs some new clothes. May she borrow some of yours?"

Shu's mother looked up. Her long black hair told me that she hadn't cut it in quite some time. Still, the family resemblance was clear. She smiled. "Of course, dear." She turned to me next. "Come along...." She trailed off, searching for my name.

"Oma," I replied.

"Oma," she agreed, nodding her head. She stood, and then motioned to the wooden doorway. "This way, Oma. My sleeping quarters are over here." She led me through a hallway that was little more than a cluttered walkway full of wooden doors and cupboards with a weak roof over top.

The room we stopped in was small, about the same size as the kitchen. There was a bed, and from the looks of it, full of heather or hay. She reached into a trunk that was sitting at the base of the bed.

The robe she pulled out was long and red. It looked very traditional. "I... I couldn't possibly...." The robe was too stunning. I didn't want to take it.

"No, no. It's alright. Go ahead; it is too small for me now. And I have no daughters to pass it to."

"Thank you," I took the robe and let it fall. The intricate pattern of flowers covered the silk.

"Come along, Shu. Give her some privacy." She looked over her should as she left the room. "If you're hungry, I can cook something for you. Just ask." And she walked out.

I was left alone in the room. I quickly changed out of my tattered clothes and into the new robe. There was a mirror in the room, along the other side of the bed. Looking in it, I fixed my hair, and dusted off some dirt on my face and arms. Then followed out.


End file.
